1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the fields of personal comfort and portable spectator chairs. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to protecting participants involved in sedentary outdoor activities from exposure to wind, precipitation (i.e., rain, sleet, snow), and cold temperature. Outdoor activities contemplated in connection with the present invention include, but are not limited to, outdoor activities such as sports spectating (i.e., baseball, soccer, rugby, football, etc.) concert events and demonstrations, hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, camping, tailgating, etc.
2. Description of Related Art
The outdoor sports spectator, concert goer, hunter, fisher, wildlife observer or photographer, tailgater, camper, and otherwise outdoor enthusiast, continuously expose themselves to the elements. Many of these outdoor activities require or include long periods of sedentary periods which benefit from a comfortable resting platform or seat. The position of the participant involved in these activities can be on a rigid bench, bleacher, or fixed seat as is common at collegian and professional sporting events, on the ground, which is common at concerts and large demonstrations, or in portable seats and chairs, as is common in fishing, certain types of hunting, and when viewing amateur sporting events such as soccer, baseball, football, etc.
Individuals participating in sedentary outdoor pursuits have to endure a variety of comfort and climatic conditions. This becomes a greater challenge during inclement weather where wind, cold, and precipitation can drastically and detrimentally affect the individual. Cold and precipitation are the two greatest environmental stresses confronting the outdoor enthusiast. Creating a comfortable seating environment has been a challenge addressed by all outdoor enthusiasts. The minimum inclement weather implements employed by spectators using fixed or rigid seating are: the classic stadium cushion, pad or seat, umbrella, raincoat or poncho, and blanket or sleeping bag. Organizing, carrying, and arranging these implements can be challenging especially for the elderly and physically impaired since it is often required that participants walk extended distances between their vehicle or other transportation and their ultimate seat. Numerous attempts have been made to combine and improve the performance of implements used by enthusiasts participating in outdoor activities were fixed rigid seating is provided. Holmes (U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,887) describes an insulated multi-use seat cushion with closable hand and foot openings while Netz (U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,706) describes a combination hand muffler and seat warmer the contents both of which are incorporated herein in their entireties. Walker (U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,767), the contents of which is incorporated herein in its entirety, describes a body warming device that can be used to warm either the feet or hands during a variety of sedentary activities. Hodson (U.S. Pat. No. 5,961,178), Sardi (U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,256), and Gibson (U.S. Pat. Application No. 2003/0034674), the contents all of which are incorporated herein in their entireties, describe various configurations of stadium cushions, pads, and seats incorporating support mechanisms and storage, supplemental heating, and an integrated seat cushion with built-in leg warmer.
Outdoor enthusiasts have gone to great extremes to create comfortable microenvironments in response to changing and often times inclement weather conditions. Agyagos (U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,988) describes a sheet assembly for use as a multipurpose tote bag, Comfort (U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,065) describes a blanket/comforter designed to be wrapped around one's legs, Yih (U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,034) describes a personal tent system that offers warmth and rain resistance, Terrazas (U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,881) describes a combination stadium blanket and cushion that offers rain protection, Sodetz (U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,834) describes a versatile waterproof blanket composite, Ponstein (U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,489) describes a blanket device comprising a rectangular panel having openings for the head and or hands, Zampirri (U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,343) describes a multi-purpose combination blanket and tote bag, Anderson (U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,301) describes a convertible blanket and carrier, while French (U.S. Pat. No. 6,223,367) describes an improved stadium blanket that includes an integrated storage bag, November (U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,083), Hoffman (U.S. Pat. No. 6,393,637), and Moore (U.S. Pat. No. 6,408,462) all describe improved multipurpose blankets and personal covers, while Dunlap (U.S. Pat. Application No. 2003/0061659) describes an improved stadium blanket with integrated hand and feet warmers. The above listed patents and applications, the contents all of which are incorporated herein in their entireties, attempt to offer improvements to traditional blankets and personal covers some of which additionally address improvements in convenience by incorporating various folding and carrying mechanisms. None of the above mentioned art addresses the mutual need for a comfortable microenvironment and resting platform or seat while involved with sedentary outdoor activities.
The proliferation of amateur sports, especially those involving children, has greatly expanded the need for playing fields and sports complexes. With physical space at a premium, many sports complexes have elected to limit the availability of fixed seating options such as grandstands thus requiring spectators to supply their own portable seating. Folding chairs have been in common use for many years for both indoor and outdoor activities. Outdoor activities often times require the participant to travel moderate to lengthy distances from their primary vehicle to their ultimate location or position. This distance can be only a few yards for an amateur sporting event to literally miles for the sports of hunting, fishing, and wildlife observation and photography. The need for convenience, portability, and comfort in portable seating has stirred a multitude of products and inventions from the early 1950's to modern day. Boucher (U.S. Pat. No. 2,691,410), Maclaren (U.S. Pat. No. 3,124,387), (Sprigman (U.S. Pat. No. 3,136,272), and Roher (U.S. Pat. No. 3,635,520), the contents all of which are incorporated herein in their entireties, describe the earliest versions of collapsible portable seats and chairs. Designed to be self collapsing facilitating easy portability, these were valuable improvements over ridge two dimensionally collapsible chairs. Chen (U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,778), Levin (U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,068), Chang (U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,605), Grace (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,045,171; 5,779,314), Cook (U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,621), Welsh (U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,172), Zheng (U.S. Pat. No. Des. 432,325), Zheng (U.S. Pat. No. Des. 433,244), Tsai (U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,238), Tang (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,179,374 & 6,322,138), Han (U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,951), Munn (U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,271), Fox (U.S. Pat. No. Des. 460,280), Wu (U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,348), Marx (U.S. Pat. No. 6,547,322), Ammann (U.S. Pat. No. 6,547,324), Liu (U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,855), Chen (U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,912), Choi (U.S. Pat. Application No. 2002/0043822), and Gengler (U.S. Pat. Application No. 2003/0117001), the contents all of which are incorporated herein in their entireties, all describe various modern and improved configurations of portable foldable and/or collapsible chairs. Grace and Chang are exemplary descriptions of what has become the industry standard for portable, three dimensionally collapsible chairs.
Significant improvements have been made in the portability and functionality of modern collapsible chairs. However, the need still exists for an improved multifunctional resting platform and inclement weather garment for use by those involved in sedentary outdoor activities. Several attempts have been made to improve the inclement weather functionality of foldable and collapsible chairs, the contents all of which are included herein in their entireties, as described by McClish (U.S. Pat. No. 2,811,977) describes a collapsible tent shelter adapted for use during ice fishing and hunting in cold and inclement weather, McBeth (U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,601) describes a foul weather outdoor chair comprised of a lightweight collapsible shelter structure for use in ice fishing and other outdoor activities, Joranco (U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,473) describes a sun and windbreaker panel, Anderson (U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,872) describes a portable collapsible umbrella shelter for use at sporting events, Bilanzich (U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,434) describes a campers wind block and heat reflector, Tashchyan (U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,002) describes a lightweight collapsible enclosure adapted to fit around a folding chair, and Blankney (U.S. Pat. Application No. 2002/0112752) who describes a variation of a collapsible canopy frame for use over a folding chair. While some of the above mentioned devices offer protection to wind and precipitation, none adequately address the issue of exposure to cold temperatures since the enclosures and canopies leave a significant air gap around the user. The portable enclosures and canopies also introduce visibility issues of other participants at sporting events etc. since these may block their view.
None of the above-mentioned patents or patent applications disclose or suggest an integrated portable collapsible inclement weather garment and resting platform designed to accommodate the diverse needs of participants involved in outdoor activities such as sports spectating, hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, camping, tailgating, etc. The present invention addresses the need for such a device.